This invention relates to an assembly for extending or enhancing the visual field available to the driver of an automotive vehicle. More particularly, this invention relates to a combined forward and rearward viewing mirror assembly on an automotive vehicle.
It is well known that safe driving of an automotive vehicle requires that the operator have an adequate view of objects to the rear of, alongside and forward of the vehicle. Many devices have been proposed and constructed for enhancing the visual field available to automobile drivers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,191,558 discloses a mirror assembly disposable at the top of a hill or at a bend in a road to provide the driver of an oncoming vehicle with an unobstructed view of vehicles on the other side of the hill or the curve. U.S. Pat. No. 2,398,354 shows and describes a periscope installable in the top of automobile for giving the driver thereof a clear view of objects immediately to the side of the automobile and immediately rearwardly thereof exemplarily for facilitating parking of the vehicle along a curb. To a similar end, U.S. Pat. No. 2,374,956 discloses a system of mirrors positioned at different points within the passenger compartment of an automobile for giving the driver thereof of an improved view of areas immediately forward and immediately rearward, and to the side, of the vehicle.
In some proposed devices for enhancing the visual field available to an automobile driver, a mirror is shiftably mounted to the automobile. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,607,273 is directed to a two sided mirror installable beneath the hood of an automobile, a mechanism being provided for raising the mirror vertically out of the hood so that the driver of the car may see objects to the left or right thereof by looking at the mirror. U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,877 discloses a rear view mirror attached to an automobile by means of an extendable arm to enhance visibility to the rear of the automobile. Another mirror system with movable components, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,187, includes a pair of mirrors mounted at opposite ends of a telescoping cylinder 9 assembly. In this assembly, the cylinders are rotatable with respect to one another so that the mirrors can be used to alternately obtain a better rearward view and a better forward view from the vehicle to which the assembly is mounted.
One situation in which an improved field of view is important, if not critical, to highway safety is the passing situation. Frequently, in order to obtain a line of sight which extends sufficiently beyond the vehicle or vehicles to be passed to determine whether a safe passing is possible, it is necessary for the driver of the passing automobile to edge into the lane of oncoming traffic. This necessity arises, for example, if the vehicle immediately in front of the passing automobile is a large truck. A mirror assembly for improving the line of sight in such a situation, set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 1,877,109, comprises a pair of mirrors secured to the body of a vehicle and fixed in a periscopic relationship with respect to one another to enable the driver of the vehicle to view oncoming vehicles on the left hand side of the highway.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved mirror assembly attachable to an automobile for providing the driver thereof with an enhanced visual field.
Another, more particular, object of the present invention is to provide such a mirror assembly which gives the driver of an automobile an improved line of sight with respect to oncoming vehicles, while maintaining a view of objects to the rear of the automobile.
Another particular object of the present invention is to provide such a mirror assembly which minimizes air resistance or drag particularly when the driver is not attempting to pass other vehicles.
Yet another particular object of the present invention is to provide a combination forward and rearward viewing mirror assembly in which the forward viewing function is selectively operable or usable, e.g., in a passing situation.